Lennon Danielle’s Birth Story
Estimated "Due Date": July 3, 2012
Born: July 11, 2012 / 4:19 AM / Covenant Harrison, Saginaw, MI / Dr. Stryker
Gestational age: 41 Weeks, 1 Day
Weight: 6 lbs 12 oz
Height: 19.5”
I found out that I was pregnant
in October 2011 while living in Alexandria, VA with Dan. Something didn’t feel
normal, I was feeling sick, bloated, gaining weight and something inside of me
told me that I just needed to take a pregnancy test. So, that’s what I did.
Moments later I made Dan look at it and he came running into our bedroom happy as
could be!
My next step was calling my best
friend, McKensey to scream, cry, and ask for advice on how to tell my mother!
Dan called his best friend Ryan, and his parents right away. The next day I
called my mom, we bought a pregnancy photo book and then we called doctors in
the area! At my first appointment we found out I was about 8 weeks pregnant!
Fast forward to July, 2012 and we
were living back in Saginaw, MI. My due date quickly came and went. I spent
that day leaving my last day of work for maternity leave, getting a mani/pedi
and then relaxing at home. July 4, 2012 we spent the day celebrating, going to
a pool party and then going to the fireworks where we ended up leaving early
due to the onset of early contractions and labor signs. However it was a false
alarm, which happened many nights leading up to Lennon’s arrival. I had no idea
what “real contractions” felt like so many nights I was up tossing and turning,
aching in pain in my lower abdomen and timing what I thought was the real deal
before eventually heading into the ER. Once we got to the ER on those long
nights they monitored me and the “contractions” stopped. I was sent home with
high hopes it would happen again soon! That happened on and off until the day
of July 11. A couple of days prior to July 11 my mucus plug came out in chunks,
gross, and I had my membranes stripped at the OB office. Since I wasn’t
progressing and there were no signs of real labor starting I was scheduled to
be induced on July 11, 2012 at 7pm at Covenant Hospital when I was 41 weeks
pregnant.
July 11th arrives,
it’s 8AM and I am pacing the house preparing everything I can for the arrival
of baby. We planned on going to lunch for the last time alone, and then
relaxing for the night before heading into the hospital. Well, around 2PM I was
doing dishes in the kitchen while Dan was waiting to go to lunch. All of a
sudden I felt like I was peeing my pants and couldn’t stop! I yelled to Dan
that I think my water may have broken but then we both said, “nah, that’s
supposed to be a big gush of water… maybe not!” so we went about our day. I
(luckily) wore a dress to lunch, and a HUGE maxi pad! I soaked through it
halfway through lunch and decided it was time to call the doctor. I called and
they told me to come in right away because that’s my water breaking! So, after
a trip home to grab our bags and car seat we were headed to the hospital and
arrived around 4PM.
Upon arrival at the hospital I checked
in and was given a room. I was immediately hooked up to the monitors for baby
to be monitored, had an IV placed, and changed into my gown. We called family
and friends to explain the news and waited for my doctor to come in. It seemed
like hours waiting for my doctor but it was only about an hour. Dr. Stryker
came in, checked my cervix and fluid levels. She explained that my cervix was
firm and there was no sign of dilation, which was not ideal for my water
breaking hours prior. The first thing she said was, “Well, how do you feel
about a C-Section?” I was mortified. I wasn’t planning on my first birth being
a c-section and I was already scared of what could happen! She insisted that
they try Pitocin and Prepidil (a cervical ripening agent). I was given the
Prepidil in my cervix and within about an hour I was having contractions that
were 1-3 minutes apart.
Once my contractions intensified
I was in a lot of pain, moaning and crying through each one. I was offered
Morphine in my IV for the pain so I accepted it. Truly, it only really made me
tired and groggy, it didn’t help with the painful contractions. I ended up getting
out of bed, walking around my room for a bit and then asked to sit in the hot
tub. I am so grateful for a room with a jacuzzi tub! Dan filled it with warm
water and then once I was able to get in the tub I could only stay in it for a
little bit because the contractions were pretty intense. By this time it was
late, around 8PM and I needed to be checked again.
Doctor came in to check my cervix
and I was already at 4CM dilated, the gel was working and I could definitely
feel the pressure. She explained an epidural to me, the benefits and risks, but
mostly that it would really help with the pain and let me sleep before labor
began. I gave in, even though it was NOT in my plan. The process of getting an
epidural while having contractions so close together was excruciating. I
remember sitting on the edge of the bed, bent over with my head in my nurses’
chest and hubby holding my hand. The worst part was being told not to move when
the contraction started because the needle could paralyze me. How scary is that?
I held on so tight, the anesthesiologist was there to assure me everything
would be great and it was in within 5 minutes. Once the epidural was in I
couldn’t even tell it was there.
After the epidural was placed I
was told that I couldn’t get out of bed. I had not researched epidurals too
much since I wasn’t planning on getting one, so I had no idea what they
entailed. Not that I really could get out of bed anyway because my toes and
legs were completely numb, and that was the worst feeling in the world.
My mom arrived later that night
to sit with Dan and I and stayed until about midnight when I was ready for some
sleep. I fell asleep in my bed around that time and Dan fell asleep on the
couch. Before falling asleep the nurses checked me, I had dilated to about 7CM
and she explained the feeling I would get when I was ready to push. All she
said was, “you will feel immense pressure and feel like you’re going to poop!
When that happens page us ASAP!” So the night went on, sleeping sound in my bed
and then it happened just like she said it would. I was woken up just after 3AM
by intense pressure, the worst contractions I had felt yet, and it seemed to be
all on my left side and it was not stopping!
I paged the nurses and I was
screaming for Dan to wake up. After throwing a few spoons, Kleenex boxes, and
then a book at him he woke up oblivious to what was going on around him. The
lights were on, the nurses were in the room, they were checking me, prepping
the room for delivery, etc. I was a nervous, miserable wreck but he was so
supportive and stayed by my side the entire time! I was surprised to not see my
doctor but was greeted by a resident, whom I had never met, dressed in green
scrubs with a mask on like he was attending a surgery. He introduced himself
and checked my cervix. I was completely dilated at 10CM and he said I was ready
to push! I was crying from the pain and told Dan to text my mom to come back
NOW as she had gone home to sleep.
Go time! It was 4AM, I had my
legs put up – a nurse holding one and Dan holding the other since I could not
feel a thing - then the bed was dropped down, trash bag looking things placed
under my butt and a flock of nurses rushed into the room. I told the nurse I
needed to push and I was told to wait. I screamed to her that I couldn’t wait,
there was NO chance I was waiting, I had to push! I began pushing and as I did
my mom was outside the door asking to come in… there was no way I wanted more
people in the room so she waited down the hall in the waiting room where she
said she could hear everything I screamed! Oops! I had no idea what I was doing.
The nurse standing next to me was more than wonderful, she coached me through
each contraction and told me exactly what to do. Instinctively I wanted my head
back in a comfortable position but they insisted I place my chin to my chest,
breathe deep and push as hard as I could. I was screaming through each
contraction, as I could feel all of the pressure, pushed my chin down and
pushed. I pushed a few times and then my actual OBGYN came in the room, stood
in the background and coached a few pushes. Then, I felt the head pop out and
the nurses asked if I wanted to touch her head, feel her hair or see her with a
mirror and I was too focused on pushing to even talk to anyone! After a few
minutes of pushing I gave one final huge push with all of my strength and I
felt all of the body come out and heard little but loud screams and cries. I
remember looking at Dan and just smiling thinking, “we did it!” as she was
placed on my chest.
She was born at 4:19 AM, after
less than 20 minutes of pushing.
A few minutes went by and Dan cut
the cord while I delivered the placenta and was being stitched up from a small
internal tear. After the cleanup, my bed was put back together so I could lie
down and relax with my baby girl on my chest. She was so sweet, so calm and
closed her eyes right away. My doctor looked at Dan and I and asked what her
name was. Up until that moment we had been going back and forth about her name
as I was passionate about one and he loved a different one. He looked at me,
smiled and nodded his head. I cried, and told her “Lennon!” then he said,
“Danielle” as her middle name. We had never discussed middle names but I was
happy as long as I got my little Lennon!
This birth was not ideal, wasn’t
perfect, was so painful and confusing, and miserable at times and I wanted
things to go much differently but in the end it was beautiful, our little girl
was here and we were overwhelmed with happiness.
